The tragic attacks in Paris on 7 January and 13 November 2015 have engendered vivid debates about national identity and national culture in France, and accelerated the promotion of patriotism by the socialist government. At the European level, whereas the death of nations has been predicted along with the triumph of globalisation, nations and nationalism make a spectacular come back in public debates, and put most European left-wing parties in an embarrassing position. In the aftermath of world war two, the Left gradually became suspicious of references to the nation, traditionally associated with rightwing ideologies. Yet in a time of identity debates and persistent collective attachment to nations, patriotism, sovereignty and nationalism are also increasingly used as political arguments.

Annonce

Argument

The Research Centre for the study of Politics of Sciences Po (CEVIPOF) is organising an international conference entitled ‘The Left and Nationalism in Europe’ from 9th to 11th June 2016, with the support of Ecole Polytechnique and Jean Jaurès Foundation. The working language will be English.

The tragic attacks in Paris on 7 January and 13 November 2015 have engendered vivid debates about national identity and national culture in France, and accelerated the promotion of patriotism by the socialist government. At the European level, whereas the death of nations has been predicted along with the triumph of globalisation, nations and nationalism make a spectacular come back in public debates, and put most European left-wing parties in an embarrassing position. In the aftermath of WW2, the Left gradually became suspicious of references to the nation, traditionally associated with rightwing ideologies. Yet in a time of identity debates and persistent collective attachment to nations, patriotism, sovereignty and nationalism are also increasingly used as political arguments.

So what about nationalism of the political left? Contrary to the alleged theoretical incompatibility between left-wing ideologies and nationalism, European left-wing parties whether in government or in opposition have nourished discourses and specific policies towards the nation and national identity in the last fifty years. Nationalism is often potent in the ideology and rhetoric of both parties and voters of the Left. This includes moderate variants – for example the French PS or the Greek PASOK in the 1980’s, the UK Labour party’s ‘one nation labour’, German SPD or Swedish Social Democratic Party in the 1990s, as well as more radical left-wing parties such as post-Communist movements in Central Europe after the fall of the USSR, Syriza in Greece, the French Communist Party since the end of WW2 or Die Linke in Germany today. It is also significant that major regional nationalist parties such as the Scottish National Party, the Irish Sinn Féin or part of the Catalan independence movement are referring to themselves as left-wing organisations.

However, in most cases, the connection between nationalism and the Left in Europe is largely under-researched and under-theorized, often limited to the study of European Communist parties. This conference aims at unpacking and analysing this relationship between the Left and the nation in Europe. The focus is both historical and contemporary, seeking to examine parties ranging from mainstream to far left as well as left-wing movements and the so- called ‘class route to nationhood’.

This conference call is addressed to academics from junior to senior levels working either/or on left-wing political parties, nationalism studies or electoral behaviour studies. It will allow for 40 papers to be presented in the course of the conference. Keynotes plenary sessions will also be organised in the form of dialogues between central political actors and first class academics addressing the issue of the nation for the European Left.

The conference will address and welcomes paper proposals in the following broad themes, although panel proposals can also be considered:

Theoretical perspectives on nationalism and the Left

Historical Perspectives on nationalism and the Left

Policies and Discourse of the social-democratic left (parties and voters)

Policies and Discourse of the radical left (parties and voters)

Regional nationalist movements

Welfare nationalism

Submission guidelines

Paper proposals should be submitted by April 8th 2016

under the form of a 250 words abstract and a short biographic notice (including your name, institutional affiliation and title, when appropriate). For applications as well as any queries or additional information, please email to the following address: ln.parisconference@sciencespo.fr and to the conference assistant chair David Copello: david.copello@sciencespo.fr. Please ensure that you highlight how your paper relates to the conference theme and its central questions.